Tuesday, 10 June 2014

My Favourite Beer

The tastes of Spain are some of my
favourite in the world. So when I came across this beer through my favoured
mail-order-beer site (alesbymail.co.uk), I couldn’t help but order a couple of
cheeky bottles.

I can honestly say, THIS IS MY FAVOURITE
BEER IN THE WORLD. There, I said it. And I really mean it.

Several months later and I’ve lost count on
the number of bottles I’ve drunk, the amount of money I’ve spent and most of my
immediate family’s names, but I can’t help it, I’m infatuated.

Don’t worry, I’m getting round to telling
you about the actual beer, but I’m getting butterflies in my stomach, I’m
articulating at the laptop screen and I’m babbling. Good signs considering I’m
now half cut on the stuff and incapable of writing coherently. Good job I wrote
notes! Woohoo for notes! And spellcheck…

The love of my beer life is La Socarrada, a craft beer brewed in the small town of Xativa in Valencia, famed for its
beautiful castle and narrow, winding streets. It’s an amber-coloured, almost Bock-style
beer brewed with rosemary and rosemary honey, and THIS is its crowning glory!

Brewed in small batches of 2500 litres every
fortnight, this is also a rare beer, and you’ll be lucky to be in its presence.
Remember that when you’re drinking it.

The beer pours a marmalade-amber with a high
carbonation, which quickly dissipates, showcasing the beer's high yeast content;
which is pleasantly present on the palate too. It’s got an aroma of fruity
malts, rosemary, honey and sourdough bread. The rosemary is subtle, and the
honey only offers a little sweetness, balancing the beer perfectly.

This is a flawless beer, best served between
6 and 8 degrees, and the ideal with food. I shared one bottle (I’m not handing
this stuff out willy-nilly) and a platter of cured meats with friends, and it
was lovely, especially with the Chorizo.

I do a lot of beer and food pairing
sessions, and one of the show-stoppers every time is this beer with some simply
roasted Lamb rump. Not too much garlic, and just a little sea salt & cracked black pepper. Bliss. Soon, I’m going to cook my rice off in a bottle of
this for a beautiful paella Valenciana. I imagine this will be the best thing
I’ve ever put in my mouth.

This beer captivates me from first pour to
last mouthful, but unfortunately it’s never long enough. It’s also available in
750ml bottles, which is probably more suited to me.

I will leave you today with this picture of
my nephew propping up the bar in my pub photo-bombing my artistic beer photos... Takes after his uncle Adam.